Mister Man gets to choose his dinner every year on his birthday. It’s one of our traditions – whatever he wants to eat and whatever kind of cake he wants. As he’s gotten older, he’s started to get more creative. It’s been fun, but sometimes it’s a challenge, too. This year he wanted pulled pork and baked potatoes. As we chatted, I realized he meant them to be like nachos.
I was all over the idea. Baked potatoes are nice and low maintenance, and I can do my pulled pork in the crock pot, which is a huge time saver, too. All that’s left is putting together the trimmings to make a nacho bar that everyone will enjoy.
I’m grateful that Mister Man chose something relatively easy for his dinner, because the rest of it wasn’t so simple. I made Minecraft cake squares to take into school to share with his classmates, and while those were easy, they were time consuming to make. As for his “real” birthday cake? This year, he wanted apple cake, which was another furious thinking while I tried to figure out how to make that happen.
I got the cake done (and it turned out marvelously, and I’ll be making it again soon), thanks to the easy of making the pulled pork nachos Mister Man requested.
Pulled Pork Nachos
Ingredients:
Large Idaho potatoes
Pulled pork
Freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions
Sour cream
Directions:
Choose the quantities of ingredients based on how many people are eating. For six of us (including a child and a tween), four large potatoes was perfect, as we cut two of them in half to share. The same goes for the pulled pork; plan for about 3/4 cup to one cup per person. You will also need 1/3 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and 1/2 green onion per person. That makes this the perfect scaleable meal, no?
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and prepare your potatoes. Wash each of them very well, scrubbing the skin to be sure the dirt it off. Dry the potato then pierce with a fork four to five times.
Bake in your oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. You want them to have a slight give when you squeeze them – my trick to knowing if they’re done. You can also use a meat thermometer to check them. They’re done when the inside reaches 270 degrees.
While the potatoes are cooking, warm up your pulled pork or cook it so that it will be done at the same time – another reason to love crock pots. I save some of my pork without my homemade barbecue sauce because the wee ones prefer it without the barbecue, but the rest of us love pulled pork with barbecue sauce.
I also clean and chop green onion while the potatoes are baking. I simply slice the green onion on the bias from the white bulb through to the top o the green stem. It’s all edible, so don’t throw out the “part we don’t eat.” I save my shredding of the cheese for the last minute, however, as it’s quick and freshly shredded cheese doesn’t clump or dry out.
Once the potatoes are baked, let them cool for five or so minutes. Set up your nacho bar with all your ingredients – note that I left out the sour cream because I don’t like it and always forget to buy it. That lets everyone place the toppings they want in the quantities they want onto their “nacho” base.
Then cut a slit in the top of the potato and carefully squeeze it together to open it up like a bowl. Simply spoon the toppings onto your potato, and use a knife and fork to enjoy immediately.
Pulled Pork Nachos
Ingredients
- 3 Idaho potatoes
- 3 1/2 cups pulled pork
- 1 2/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 stalks green onion
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and prepare your potatoes. Wash each of them very well, scrubbing the skin to be sure the dirt it off. Dry the potato then pierce with a fork four to five times.3 Idaho potatoes
- Bake in your oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. You can use a meat thermometer to check them. They're done when the inside reaches 270 degrees.
- While the potatoes are cooking, warm up your pulled pork or cook it so that it will be done at the same time.3 1/2 cups pulled pork
- Clean and slice green onion on the bias while the potatoes are baking. Shred your cheese just before serving.2 stalks green onion, 1 2/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Once the potatoes are baked, let them cool for five or so minutes. Set up your nacho bar with all your ingredients. That lets everyone place the toppings they want in the quantities they want onto their "nacho" base.
- Then cut a slit in the top of the potato and carefully squeeze it together to open it up like a bowl. Simply spoon the toppings onto your potato, and use a knife and fork to enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use a half potato for each serving. Some eaters may enjoy the whole potato, however!
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
[…] to choose whatever he likes to eat for his dinner and cake. That’s how we ended up with pulled pork nachos (that were amazing). He’s come up with all sorts of fun cakes that he wants from peach cake […]